It Isn’t All Green Chili and Cacti

I love New Mexico. If I had any money or marketable skills I’d even consider trading in my fifty-dollar-a-year “squatter’s” tax and apple orchard for a fixed-rate mortgage and green-chili plantation. However, in order to be fair to those who are planning on visiting us in the next few months (we are currently booked March 1-6, 12-16, 23-26; and April 1-5) I’m listing a few things that are not ideal about life in the Land of Enchantment.

Albuquerque drivers -I have taken taxis in Jerusalem, fought Chicago rush hour, commuted to work in Philly and driven through Europe for 18 days with a missionary who did not remember or care which side of the rode he needed to be on and still I think the worst drivers I’ve ever seen are New Mexicans. New Mexicans are wonderful people unless you are trying to merge or, God forbid, drive the speed limit in the right hand lane. This weekend we hit a patch of snow coming back from Colorado (eight inches, all melted by noon the next day -God bless the South West) and everyone drove like they had an open canister of plutonium in the back seat. Pick-up trucks with their blinkers on going 7 mph, spanning two-lanes of highway in an inch and a half of fallen snow. The last time I passed that many people in one trip I got pulled over for interrupting a funeral procession.

The water -You ever see those “Save the Children” commercials where kids are drinking water from stagnant pools beside bathing cattle. I think of those children every time I’m forced to drink from the tap. As much as I hate the waste, we’ve been stuck buying bottled water.

Bible Study -I like our new Albuquerque church friends, but I miss having some kind of Bible Study. This past weekend in a Sunday School class in Colorado I found myself listening to other people talk, just because I missed hearing an interesting opinion. We are hoping to get a study going with a couple families in the area next month.

That is about the only downside of NM. And now, on a positive note, my updated Green Chili Count:

Bagel, Beer, Breakfast Burrito, Burrito, Calzone, Cheeseburger, Chili-dog, Curry, Enchilada, Fajita, Hamburger, Jelly, Jerky, Hotdog, Muffin, Nachos, Pizza, Salsa, Samosa, Sushi, Stew, Tacos (corn and flour). We’ve also eaten our way through three different jars.

A Triestman Collaborative Film Project

After the rave reviews that Hadassah got for her photography I decided to let the kids do some artistic exploration. Here are two homemade cartoons that the kids and I put together. The first was co-written by Bobby and myself (Hadassah had some creative input, but I couldn't draw a unicorn.) The second film is based on a true story. I haven't uploaded the audio yet, but I think you get the point.

Back to Early Retirment and Semi-regular Blogging

Greetings from Albuquerque, New Mexico -home of the Isotopes, the world’s largest rattlesnake collection, the national hot-air balloon festival and the green chili donut. We arrived about a week ago and I have already eaten green chili in my bagel, my beer, my pizza, my curry, my hamburger, my hotdog, my breakfast burrito and straight out of the jar. My stomach has felt like a roll of Mentos in a bottle of Pespi ever since we crossed the Colorado border.

We had a very exciting drive down which Hadassah has kindly documented with her Fisher Price camera:

Here we are crossing through the Colorado Rockies. Words cannot describe the majesty of the snow-capped mountains glistening with the radiance of the rising sun -you need a picture like this to really do it justice.





Here we driving through Wyoming at two in the morning. Note our terror as the gas-gauge light goes on.



Here is Hadassah documenting her documentary by way of a mirror.


This is a shoe.




We will be here for the next 12 weeks and are taking reservations for house guests. We are currently booked March 22-25. Space is limited so reserve your spot today!